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THE INVASION OF THE MAINTENANCE WORKERS

– Does your neighborhood turn into a factory during the day? Mine does.

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Like a lot of people, I leave my neighborhood in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun comes up, only to return at night. Consequently, I do not see what goes on in the neighborhood during daytime. Recently though, I took some time off and stayed around the house. When I went to run some errands I found the roads in my neighborhood clogged by a variety of trucks, mostly pickups. Only then did I realize what a beehive of activity my neighborhood turns into during the day. It was like a little city where trucks jockeyed for parking, making it difficult for others to navigate through the gauntlet.

For starters, I saw the garbage men making their rounds, as well as my USPS letter carrier. This didn’t surprise me. Instead, I was amazed by the number of lawn maintenance people at work. It was a Thursday, and I presume homeowners wanted their lawns taken care of before the weekend. I also saw a tree trimming service with a cherry picker.

There were also a myriad of utility companies represented, including a local cable operator, the power company, and the water/sewer department checking water lines. Different delivery services were visible as well, one delivering furniture and another with a new washing machine. There was also someone delivering salt for water softeners. Let us also not forget UPS and FedEx who prowl the streets late in the afternoon. Although I didn’t see it this particular day, I have seen movers clog the streets as well.

Next, there were a variety of vendors hard at work, including a couple of painters and a roofer. Repairmen were also present, one fixing an air conditioning unit, another working on a dishwasher. An insurance claim adjuster was in the neighborhood making a report. Different maid services were also present, as well as a man cleaning windows. Pressure washers were visible cleaning driveways and sidewalks. There was also a carpet cleaner, a couple of pool services at work, and a lawn sprinkler repair service. A small group was checking for sinkholes at one residence (after all, this is Florida).

Finally, I saw a pest control business checking insect traps around residences, and a fertilizing company spreading their product on lawns. As for the latter, I found the names of these companies rather amusing as they all had some permeation of “Green” in their name, “Green”-this and “Green”-that. I guess colors such as mauve, chartreuse, puce, and scarlet are considered inappropriate names associated with such businesses.

As busy as it was during the day, by 5:00pm all of the trucks had disappeared, leaving the streets empty for commuters returning home. It was like a massive factory had shut down for the evening. Frankly, I hadn’t anticipated the level of activity in the neighborhood. Sure, you expect a few people to come in and work, but nothing to the scale I witnessed. Dozens of trucks stealthily descend in the morning and perform their Entebbe Raid before withdrawing at sunset. It all seemed like a well orchestrated covert operation. Check it out sometime if you get a chance, particularly Thursdays.

Keep the Faith!

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